June in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham
June 600 Years Ago . . .
This video focuses on a medieval manuscript illustration depicting agricultural labor in June. It comes from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Barefoot peasants are shown raking hay and cutting grass under a clear blue sky, offering a glimpse into life in the Middle Ages. The illumination, a stunning example of medieval art, was created for Jean de Valois, Duke of Berry, around 1412–16 CE.
June
in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (c. 1412–16), Limbourg Brothers and other artists. Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.
We consider how the image blends scenes of agricultural labor, zodiac symbols, and detailed views of a French royal palace into a richly layered vision of the medieval world. The video also explores the sharp contrast between the working peasants in the foreground and the wealth and privilege of the duke and royal court behind them. Along the way, we meet the Limbourg brothers, the gifted artists responsible for many of the manuscript’s famous illuminations, and consider how their innovative paintings helped shape our modern imagination of the Middle Ages.
Video chapters
0:00 Introduction to the June Calendar Page and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
0:20 The Très Riches Heures and the Duke of Berry
1:12 Labor, Class, and Daily Life
2:10 Paris, Power, and the Royal Palace
2:46 Seeing the World Through Noble Eyes
3:02 The Limbourg Brothers
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